ALA Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) is hitting its stride this spring. From March to June 2026, we are rolling out a premier selection of new webinars and fan-favorite courses designed to sharpen your skills. Explore our upcoming spring programming below:
The Business of Self: Personality-driven business models (influencers, TTRPG players, etc)
90 minute webinar on Thursday, March 26, 2026
Join us in a discussion on personality-driven business models. Panelists will briefly review their individual area of interest and give case-studies, examples, or other elements from their experience providing research consultations/lessons on related topics. Participants will have a brief Q&A and will then join breakout sessions with each panelist to dive into their particular area of interest. There will be several rounds of breakout sessions to give people the option to explore multiple topics.
Presenters:
Neal Baker, Business Information Specialist, Clinical Assistant Professor, Purdue University
Ash Faulkner, Business & Economics Librarian, Ohio State University
Bobbi Weaver, Foreign & International Law Reference Librarian, California Western School of Law
Edward Lim, Business & Entrepreneurship Librarian, University of Connecticut
Who Manages, Who Leads: Part Two: Mentor, Progress, Succeed, Lead
Four-week asynchronous course beginning on March 30, 2026
A four-week program for managers and leaders to learn advanced theory and practice in leadership, succession, and mentorship, benefiting both experienced and newly hired leaders. The instructor, Debra Lucas-Alfieri, Professor Emeritus, was the Head of Reference, Interlibrary Loan, Public Services, and Information Analysis and Instruction, at D’Youville University in Buffalo, NY. Debra has been teaching online library science classes, seminars, and webinars for over a decade, working with national organizations. She has presented web-based symposiums for organizations in Florida and Montreal. Debra has vast experience and knowledge of the history of libraries, and its mission, her research and philosophies are highly regarded, studied, and cited across the world. Through teaching and writing, she has impacted students and scholars across the globe.
Previous attendees have shared:
- The reading and the descriptions of the different types of leadership and how they were used. I really had not thought about a lot of them and it opened my eyes to the type of leaders I have had, have been and would like to become. It gave me some clarity and some goals to work towards.
- The readings and the discussions with other members- also the outlines and the different reviews of leadership styles and emotional intelligence.
The Accidental Law Librarian: Legal Reference for Public Services Librarians
Four-week asynchronous course with weekly live sessions start on April 6, 2026
Where can I find child support guidelines? What are the laws in Nevada on gun ownership? Can you help me apply for a business license? How do I copyright my name? Legal questions are not unique to law librarians are apt to receive legal questions. Yet few MLS programs offer more than a single course on law librarianship. Some offer none at all.
This course steps into that breach. It will cover the basics of legal publishing, how to understand and respond to legal questions, and which information sources are the go-to sources for any type of legal question. More broadly, the courses will delve into the overwhelming need for free public law libraries.
Previous attendees have shared:
- The instructor’s knowledge and experience. I am a librarian, but this is a new topic for me, and it was helpful that the instructor knew the content he was presenting.
- Covered a great deal in a short period. Varied and engaging materials prevented the course from being dry.
The instructor, Anthony Aycock, Legislative Librarian with the North Carolina General Assembly has 20+ years experience in public, private, and academic law libraries.
No-Cost Advisory: What to do when there’s no budget
60-minute webinar on April 8, 2026
Since 2020, Denver Public Library has use YouTube to bring monthly booktalks to life- fun, fast, and free! Learn how this low-tech, high-impact strategy boosts reader engagement, supports staff growth, and shines a spotlight on great titles. Discover how content is reused for live programming and how publishers are looped in to amplify visibility and advisory services.
Presenters:
Ashley Love, Adult Services Librarian, Denver Public Library’s Central Branch
Christina Gallegos, Books & Borrowing Librarian, Denver Public Library
Business Archives as a Tool for Academic Business Researchers
60-minute webinar on April 16, 2026
This presentation details the relevance of business archives to business librarians in an effort to better support researchers. The presentation stems from a longer paper and shares information about the contents of business archives, accessing business archives, key findings from conversations with business archivists, and tips for business researchers. The presenter, Annette Bochenek, is an Assistant Professor and Business Information Specialist at the Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies.
Six-week asynchronous course starting on April 27, 2026
A comprehensive six-week asynchronous course tailored for support staff, library technicians, newly hired reference librarians and those librarians who want to brush up on their interview skills. This course will focus on the methods of evaluating reference service, behavioral aspects of reference service, and the different types of questions that can be used to help patrons identify what they need. Introductory in nature, using images and text, this in-depth educational approach lead by instructor David Tyckoson, covers everything from the approachability of the librarians to how to follow up with a patrons.
First Steps: A Primer into Intellectual Property Librarianship
75-minute webinar on Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Do you ever encounter intellectual property (IP) questions, but don’t know where to start? This webinar will introduce participants to the basics of the four main types of intellectual property: patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyright.
Panelists:
Ash Faulkner, Business & Economics Librarian, Ohio State University Libraries
Teddy Stocking, Business Research & Instruction Librarian, University of Nevada in Reno
Don’t see a topic that interests you, check out our continually updated listings here or submit a proposal form here.
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more at www.rusaupdate.org.